Walking in our Faith

Welcome to St Joseph's

Welcome to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School.  I could not be prouder to be headteacher at this wonderful, Christ centred, learning community which is filled with dedicated staff, supportive families but, most importantly, talented, enthusiastic and brilliant pupils.

Our school mission statement is ‘Following in the footsteps of Jesus: having fun learning, achieving and loving together'.  This is at the very core of life at St Joseph’s – every interaction, opportunity and relationship are grounded in the commitment to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. His example inspires each child and adult in all that we do.

Underpinning our mission statement are our school virtues – these nine virtues (Service, Thankfulness, Joy, Opportunity, Self-Sacrifice, Empathy, Patience, Hospitality and Simplicity) spell out our school name and are displayed at the front of our school and inside it. Virtues are behaviours or ways of being which lead us to live good and Christian lives. Our key stage worships focus on these virtues and we celebrate children who have embodied them through virtue certificates which are awarded at the end of each virtue period.

It is no surprise that almost without exception every visitor who comes to St Joseph’s, comments on the behaviour, conduct, attitude to learning, manners and respect that our wonderful pupils show. They also comment on the warm atmosphere that they feel and how staff are so welcoming.  We place a huge value on taking our children out of school to visit new places and experience opportunities which bring our curriculum to life. Time after time whilst on school trips, staff are stopped by members of the public or staff at places we visit, to commend the children.

At St Joseph’s we hold the highest expectations for our children and they rise to these.  We expect the best from our children because we believe that each child is made in the image and likeness of Christ – therefore we do everything we can to ensure that they reach their full God given potential.

Collective worship is at the heart of our school.  Every day we pray and worship together.  Scripture is at the heart of our worship with all children being given the opportunity to participate and discern how and what the Word of God speaks to them. Over their time in school, as class chaplains pupils are guided to be able to increasingly plan and lead their own acts of collective worship in both their own and other classes. They do so with reverence. 

Our whole school chaplaincy team offer their service to the rest of the school as they lead prayer and worship as well as living out Catholic Social Teaching Principles such as the preferential option for the poor, human dignity and stewardship.

At St Joseph’s Religious Education is a core subject and standards of teaching and learning of RE are excellent.  10% of curriculum time is spent on RE and children are given a broad diet of learning activities which offer both academic rigour and creativity.  We follow the Diocesan recommended RE schemes in order to meet the requirements of the Religious Education Directory.

St Joseph’s is part of the St Margaret Clitherow parish which covers the Hunslet, Belle Isle and Middleton areas of the city.  We are blessed to have an involved priest – Fr Jude and a committed deacon - Deacon Gerry, who is also our chair of governors.  The half termly school masses at St Peter’s Church are joyous events when the school and parish come together at the source of summit of our faith – Holy Mass.

With faith, friendship and a very warm welcome.

Mrs K. Williams